Time flies when you are a member of the Illinois basketball team, and that is certainly the case for Da'Monte Williams and Trent Frazier.
Williams and Frazier quickly became fan favorites for the Illini, exhibiting ideal characteristics that made them the perfect 'everyday guys' for the program. They brought tenacity, grit, and a deep love for Illinois that was felt throughout the State Farm Center.
To this day, fans still remember what these two men did for the Illini. In 2027, we will remember their accomplishments even more as we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their 2017 recruiting class.
With addition of Tilmon, #Illini 2017 recruiting class is ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten & Top-10 in the nation by Scout, ESPN & 247Sports.☝️ pic.twitter.com/8xrvHdoXdB
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 17, 2016
Williams, for starters, was a premier glue guy for Brad Underwood. He built a reputation as an elite defender. Williams' strength and lateral quickness, mixed with his 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame, allowed him to guard multiple positions on the floor.
Frazier, a Wellington, Florida, product, found great success on both sides of the court. He was an elite perimeter defender with a scoring package that made him extremely efficient from long range, recording 207 steals and 310 three-pointers in his collegiate career.
Illinois basketball grew exponentially during the Underwood era
Prior to the start of the 2017 season, former Illinois recruits Jeremiah Tilmon and Javon Pickett asked for their releases from their national letters of intent. They cited coach John Groce's firing as their reason for reopening their recruitment, eventually ending up with the Missouri Tigers.
The men's program was in a rut before hiring Brad Underwood. From 2007-2016, the Illini recorded a 195-149 record, failed to finish a single season ranked in the AP Top 25, and made just three NCAA tournament appearances.
Illinois was a program struggling to break into the next tier of college basketball, but that all changed when three men said "Yes" to the program.
Brad Underwood, Trent Frazier, and Da'Monte Williams.
It was the turnaround that Illinois fans were clamoring for. When Underwood arrived in Champaign, he gave the Illini the roadmap to success. He installed the culture that he wanted, and Frazier and Williams became the perfect players to help get him there.
Frazier and Williams were the culture setters of the whole operation. They were the perfect examples of what it means to be an 'everyday guy,' with Underwood telling the Illini Inquirer, "Trent and Da'Monte are the guts of this thing. They're the underbelly. They're the culture."
We as fans owe so much to Frazier and Williams, because it would be hard to imagine where the Illini would be without them. If you interact with either of these men in your travels, please make sure to shake their hands and say, thank you.
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